How Special Is Acorn Cured Ham
Acorn ham is a Spanish delicacy that is very famous all over the world which Spaniards cannot resist and some would even say that it is a food from the gods. Spanish hams can come from two different breeds of hogs. The white hog is a commercially bred hog that can mature faster than normal and the Iberian hog is raised in an open pasture called a dehesa where it is not penned in. These pigs run around the pasture and feed on acorns that fall from the trees scattered across the pasture.
Only high quality pigs of the Iberian variety are used and they are usually found in Spain and some parts of portugal. These pigs produce the highest quality of meat in Spain and it usually takes 14 to 36 months of preparing and curing to produce the top selling hams. The pigs are fed only natural and healthy food which is specifically acorns. Acorns are very nutritious because they came from the trees that have been around for hundreds of years and therefore untouched by modern methods. The acorns are very nutritios for the pigs because they provide the essential proteins and nutrients that keep the pig healthy. Nutrients that are contained in acorn are calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and niacin. The nutty taste of Iberian ham is contributed by these essential nutrients and the pigs' diets are closely watched to ensure that they will grow up big and healthy. The pigs can consume twenty pounds of acorn at most everyday and this would amount to an addition of two pounds of fat on their bodies everyday. Their living conditions which allow them to roam freely permit them to exercise. This keeps them in a good physical condition and allows the fats to spread evenly all over their body which in effect enhances the marbling of fat in the meat.
After weaning, the Iberian pigs are fed on maize and barley to fatten them up. A few weeks later, they are freed and set upon the pasture to mill around and feed on grasses, acorns, and other plant life that are growing in the pasture. When the time of slaughtering draws near, they are fed on a diet of acorns only. Pigs that are destined to make second grade hams are fed on a mixture of grains and acorns. After slaughtering, the curing process is started and this is the last step to making Spanish hams. The curing of meat may vary from region to region but they will still be cured according to the farmer's standards.
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